


Ramble On

by orphan_account



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2626271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a glimpse into the summer of 2005</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ramble On

_Summer, 2005_

After her first year at The Academy she wishes to go on a road trip through her own country, hoping to travel beyond the vacation spots that she has been to since her childhood.

When she asks Fitz to come with her, he says yes.

Together they pile into the old Volkswagen Golf - a gift from her parents after she had been accepted to The Academy. It isn’t the best of cars, but it will suffice. She’s grateful for him at her side, grateful that he had shown up at her door with two bags and a smile.

Now they pull from her driveway, she at the wheel while he picks the music.

“I’ve got a CD together,” Jemma tells him as she begins down the road. He finds the disc and pushes it into the player, the sounds of Britney Spears’ hit, _Toxic_ , filling the car.

He laughs and she does too, saying to him that she wanted something upbeat as they traveled. He doesn’t say anything more, still feeling a bit awkward about being alone in the car with her. It had taken him months to think of something to say to her and when he did speak, it was about science. He fears she won’t want to discuss biochemistry for the two weeks they’re alone on the road.

Britney Spears ends, replaced by some heavy rap song Fitz can hardly understand. Jemma admits to not being a fan of the song herself, but had figured it would give them a laugh and keep their spirits up through the English countryside.

Music continues to flow through the speakers, keeping the pair away from silence as they make their first stop in Mansfield. “We always stop here on our way to Norfolk. It’s nothing extraordinary, but I wanted to show it to you.”

They park near Titchfield Park and depart from the car in unison. She begins to walk a stride ahead, a smile lighting her face as she leads him towards the entrance. Her hand fits neatly in his as they walk and she points out little things as they continue down the path.

He’s hesitant, still nervous and short for words; she’s more confident. He’s not paying attention to what he sees now, but processing just her voice as she recounts the history of the town. When she offers him a seat, Jemma asks if she’s boring him.

“No, no, this is good.”

“Great.”

They sit together for awhile, not speaking, but nudging the other to get them to look at a bird or something amusing that a child did. The air around them is comfortable, leaving the pair content as they pass their morning in the park.

“Anywhere good for lunch?”

Jemma rolls her eyes, leading Fitz towards a little cafe not far from the spot where they have parked. Little conversations flourish as they eat, topics of science, music, and film circulating between bites.

“Yeah, it was a bit disappointing.” Jemma admits, discussing the final of the prequel _Star Wars_ films that had been released only a month before. “The funeral was beautiful though.”

A discussion on which films were better begins to arise, though quickly subsides when both announce _The Empire Strikes Back_ to be their favorite.

“Mum was never much of a fan, but dad would watch them with me,” Jemma says to him as she finishes the last of the chips on her plate.

Fitz tells her that it was the opposite for him; his father had never been around much to care about anything his son took interest in while his mother did the best at trying to amuse herself with popular culture. She was the one who sat through the premiers with her son even if she hadn’t understood what was going on.

Their lunch draws to a close and they find themselves back in the Volkswagen, another Britney Spears song coming through the speakers. Jemma’s mix carries them for another two hours until they arrive in Norfolk, their place of residence for the next two days.

The hotel they enter is small, a homely atmosphere overtakes them when they ask for a room. They are given a key and are told to have a good evening. When they open their room and turn on the lights, they see a queen bed and little else. A small television rests on a table across from the bed, though neither see a remote.

“It’s -”

“- cozy.” Jemma finishes, placing her bags on the bed.

"Yeah."

He too sets his bags on the bed and asks where they're going for dinner. She tells him that it's a surprise and gives him twenty minutes to freshen himself before they depart for their meal.

It's a short walk across the street, a small cottage-style building with twinkling lights in the trees. She leads Fitz along the narrow pathway to the restaurant's entrance, telling the hostess that she has reservations for two. They are shown to a little oak table with a white table cloth covering it. In the center two candles sit on either side of a vase filled with a single rose. The two take their seats and the menus are given. When she leaves, Jemma leans in, telling Fitz, "I didn't expect this to be so romantic."

"Yeah, me either."

"It's nice though."

Fitz gives a nod and the dinner counties; the two make jokes and ignore the eyes of those around them, content with where they are. They leave the little restaurant with warm glows on both of their cheeks, crossing over to the hotel with ease.

Conflict arises some two hours later as they're preparing for bed when they argue about who gets to sleep on which side of the bed. Fitz believes he deserves the right side of the bed, the side Jemma had claimed when they first walked in.

"Fitz, just accept it and take the left side. You're being ridiculous."

Fitz scoffs, "Really, Simmons? I'm being ridiculous?"

"Fine; I will take the left side if it means that much to you!"

He mutters his thanks and climbs into the bed on the right side. She takes up the left without a word to him and the pair sit in silence. The only source of light comes from the lamp on Jemma's side, the two not bothering with the tv at all.

“Night, Fitz.” She tells him some time later, turning off the light and allowing darkness to cover the room. She can barely make out his figure when she turns to look at him, but can feel as he moves closer to her.

“Night, Simmons.”

When she turns back around, she feels an arm wrap around her and Fitz pulls himself closer. In the end, both find themselves sleeping on the left side of the bed.

 

* * *

**  
  
**

The morning brings another round of Jemma’s 2004 hits mix as they pile themselves back into the Volkswagen. Today she wishes show him the beach. The drive is shorter today, spanning only an hour to reach the north coast.

It’s windy when they step from the car, cool air nipping at their necks and ankles as they gather up a basket filled with food bought that morning and a checkered blanket to sit themselves on. Jemma takes the basket and begins walking towards the beach entrance, slipping off her shoes as she reaches the sand. Fitz keeps his on, complaining about the sand touching his skin. Jemma tells him that it’s only going to get into his shoes and further aggravate him, that he's better off going without.

Together they walk along the shore, staying away from the water's edge per Fitz's request. They pass by groups of families chatting away and teens joking with their friends as they take turns drinking from a silver flask or passing along a cigarette. A breeze passes between them that causes the two to move closer together until they reach a spot away from the chatter of the other occupants.

The blanket is laid down first, the two of them placing their shoes on the edges to keep it from blowing away as they lay out the contents of the basket. Together they sit, the breeze growing stronger as they share in the meal. Though they speak little, they are not in silence. They listen to the sea, the sounds of waves crashing against the shore; it's calming.

After they finish eating she asks for him to go on a walk with her. They walk towards the rocks, she leading him closer to the waters edge as the rocks come closer into view. When he feels her hands on his arm, it's not for her to hold on to. She's pushing him into the water, his feet contacting with the wet sand.

"That was not funny, Simmons."

She's laughing, bending down to where the water rolls in to splash at his legs further. It's when she feels his hands pushing her down that she stops laughing. Jemma loses her footing, landing in the shallow water.

" _Fitz!_ "

He offers her a hand and when she takes it, pulls him down. His landing is met with a splash, soaking both his shirt and Jemma's. Waves continues to crash around them as they argue, questioning the other's level of maturity.

"You started it."

"Only because I was tired of listening to you complain!"

Fitz doesn't respond and Jemma splashes him again, moving closer to where he sits. He's pouting, mumbling to himself about how uncomfortable he now feels.

"It's only water. Besides, it's nothing worse than the pranks from The Academy."

She receives another grumble from Fitz who now stands himself up. She too stands, staying a step behind him as they walk back to where the blanket still sits on the sand.

"There's sand everywhere."

"Very observant, Fitz."

He takes a seat on the blanket, finding a bag of leftover food to pick at. She sits beside him, a little smile on her lips. "You know, I am grateful you're here. I didn't think you'd come with me."

"'Course I'd come," he shrugs, brushing the comment off as he watches the waves roll in and out against the sand, "you're my best friend."

Jemma turns her head, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "We should probably start packing up; I have more things that I want to show you."

Together they clean up the blanket, piling things back into the basket. He complains about all of the sand that sticks to his body. She ignores him, setting off towards the car with Fitz trodding along behind her. They enter the car in silence that is soon replaced by Britney Spears' voice as they travel along to wherever it is she takes them.

 


End file.
